I used to get both Keyboard and Electronic Musician magazines in the mail each month. My iPad and the internet has replaced those days but I am glad to see the mags still live on. Electronic Musician has just started releasing Modsquad a YouTube series with Gino Robair and Jim Aikin about modulars. I really like these and there’s no better video online that shows off the Metasonix R54. Enjoy!

“Electronic Musician magazine is the ultimate resource for musicians who want to make better music, in the studio or onstage. Visit our website for artist features, gear reviews, and more tutorials!” – emusician.com

My brother got me a Blue Lantern Asteroid BD for X-mas! Here’s two videos and a direct recording for you. It’s teamed up with some Tiptop Audio 808 modules and a Metasonix R-54. No other effects were used. Everything is being triggered by an Innerclock Sync-Gen IIls. I think they all sound fantastic!

“Introducing the new blue lantern modules analog drum kick. This design was sitting in my pc for over 2 years, and i am barely getting around to releasing it. Shame on me. This drum kick module can cover a good range of analog drum kick sounds. I included the essentials in bass drum control and sculpting. You can go from chi-town muddy drums to Detroit techno drums really easy. The key feature i included is that the decay will go long (almost infinite) when fully clockwise. there is a trimmer to adjust and fine tune the decay knob. I already calibrated for the best setting.” – Blue Lantern

As per a request on the Muffwiggler forums here are some photos of my new Monorocket S3104 Eurorack modular case. It was $350 and I grabbed it at Control in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It has a 500mA power supply and is built very nicely! The sliding nut system makes it so there are no gaps between modules but it is a little more fiddly than I would hope. It’s not an issue unless you take your modules in and out of the case often. This is going right below my iMac monitor on an angle in front of my computer keyboard. I may as well mention the Synth Tech E355 is terrific. It’s a dual LFO with a wavetable of morphing shapes. It just sounds pretty as hell with my Echophon. The Metasonix R54 in Oscillator mode is so vintage sounding. It can be very fuzzy distorionistic in a warm way unlike plug-ins. I will post some videos soon. For more photos: click here.

Totalmusik is a NY sales rep for Metasonix and Eowave gear. They seems to also record the equipment and make sample libraries with the blessings of the manufacturers. They have released a Kontakt Polyphonic Wretch Machine sample pack. The samples were recorded to tape and they also included some Impulse Responses. The pack is 2GB and will run you $65. It’s on sale now for $50.

“For this library, no attention to detail was spared in capturing the true essence of this instrument. The Wretch Machine features a dual gas-tube oscillator configuration – each oscillator is switchable between three waveforms: Saw, Squarer and Subosc (squarer with suboctave). Realizing that everything sounds better through tape, and our personal philosophy that “Old is Good, Old and Broken is BetterTM” – we enlisted the assistance of our TEAC Reel to Reel to handle our tape transfer needs.” – totalmusik.com

Big City Music has released a good look at the Metasonix D-1000 Vacuum Tube Drum Machine. It’s unique and definetly sounds ancient in terms on electronic sound. Those who can appreciate the amazing soundtrack to Forbidden Planet (iTunes link) or some Aphex Twin will appreciate this box.

“The first drum machine made with vacuum tubes since the Wurlitzer Sideman of 1959. Unlike the Sideman, it’s a “modern” primitive device–with plenty of inputs, outputs, and flexibility. Even though it has only four drum sounds — two tunable drums, a tunable “snare” drum (harder sounding than the others), and a cymbal — control voltage inputs give great flexibility.” – metasonix.com

The NAMM Show acronym stands for “National Association of Music Merchants”. The event takes place twice a year. There is a summer event in Austin, Texas but the bigger of the two happening this week in Anaheim, California. There are many websites covering NAMM down to the very last detail. I’d like to only list here what I personally think are the most interesting new products. So without further ado here is Wire to the Ear’s Winter NAMM hot picks:

Moog Voyager OS. Take a normal Moog Voyager and get rid of its Midi, presets, display and XY pad and you have the new “OS” which stands for Old School. I’m not sure I totally “get” this new synth. Unless the sound quality improves by removing those features what’s the point? Having midi, XY and patch memory has to be worth a few hundred bucks to anyone, no? link

Dave Smith Instruments Prophet ’08 Synthesizer Module. A table top or rack mount version of the Prophet ’08. If you want to play chords and you want real analog it’s either an uber pricey Studio Electronics Omega, something used or the new Prophet 08. The new module will be the least expensive way into the polyphonic analog world. link

Access Virus TI Snow. A small table top version of the Virus TI. I would rather have a real analog synth or a Waldorf Blofeld but I know the Virus sounds great. Somewhat unique in a hardware synth is the new Atomizer utility announced for Virus TI’s which allows for stuttery effects. link

Alesis SR-18. This is a big surprise! An update to the SR-16! Drum machines are back! The SR-16 was such an Continue reading →